The Atomic Energy Council has approved the plans for the construction of the Rotary Radiotherapy Centre, which will house the linear accelerator machines to be used in the treatment of cancer at Nsambya Hospital.
In a letter to the Chair of the Uganda Rotary Cancer Programme, organisers of the popular Rotary Cancer Run, the Atomic Energy Council Chief Executive Officer and Secretary, Noah Deogratias Luwalira said that “the design specifications provided meet the regulatory criteria for ensuring public and occupational exposure protection.”
With this clearance, construction of the bunkers will commence at Nsambya Hospital in May this year once the approvals from KCCA and NEMA are acquired. “We now have the resources and necessary approvals to start the construction of these bunkers,” Rotarian Stephen Mwanje, chair of the Uganda Rotary Cancer Programme (URCP) said. “However, we still need money to buy the two linear accelerators,” he added.
Linear accelerators are modern machines used worldwide in the treatment of cancer. A medical linear accelerator (LINAC) customizes high energy x-rays or electrons to conform to a cancer tumor’s shape and destroy cancer cells while sparing surrounding normal tissue. The linear accelerator is housed in concrete bunkers to prevent radiation from spreading. This is the reason for the involvement of the Uganda Atomic Energy Council.
It is estimated that 22,000 Ugandans die of cancer each year according to reports by the Uganda Cancer Institute. Late diagnosis and lack of modern treatment facilities are considered the leading causes of cancer deaths.
Through the Rotary Cancer Run, Ugandans have contributed to the construction of a modern cancer treatment centre at Nsambya Hospital. “We already have a 36-bed treatment centre but it lacks the modern cancer treatment machines. Over the last years, we have been raising money to build the bunkers and equip them with the linear accelerators,” Mwanje, a Rotary Past District Governor explained.
Last year, almost 50,000 people took part in the Rotary Cancer Run across the country and in Mombasa, Kigali, Pretoria, Berlin, and Moscow to raise money and awareness about cancer — one of the leading killer diseases in Uganda today.
Over the past three years, Members of Parliament have been contributing Shs1m each every year to the Rotary Cancer Run while corporate bodies led by Centenary Bank have been making significant contributions.
“We so far have over Shs2.5 billion available for the construction of the bunkers and we have applied for a global grant from Rotary International. We are very optimistic about it,” Mwanje added.
According to the organisers of the 2020 Rotary Cancer Run, 60,000 people are expected to participate in this year’s run due on Sunday August 30 in Kampala and many towns across the country and in cities where Uganda operates diplomatic missions.
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